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Napa area is burning

RIP California 2017 vintage, we hardly knew ye.
Just literally left there on Saturday. Scary that people woke up to fires outside their house. Fortunately, much of the grapes are already harvested so unless the winery itself burned down (which some did) it won't be a completely destroyed. Better than several years ago when the smoke from nearby wildfires tainted the taste of the wine from the smoke that infiltrated the grapes.
 
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Mrs. unIowa and I have plans to head out there on the 20th. UGH
 
There was a big fire in Anaheim Hills today as well. It's nothing like this, but still not good. I look outside and it's ashy and the sky is orange.
 
We have good friends in Napa and Sonoma counties. Some in Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa. They had to evacuate at 2:00 am and it took them over 4 hours to go 4 miles.
 
I was there 3 weeks ago.
In fact looks like one of the wineries we visited (william hill) got burned down.
Is Shaun Mondavi Wine Place okay?

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/shaun-mondavi/2872692?snl=1

Shaun Mondavi: Four years ago, when I told my Dad I wanted to own my own vineyard, he said, "First of all, don't call me Dad. You're 27 and this is the second time I've ever met you. Second, no you can't own a vineyard. You're a convicted felon and your mother told me you have a learning disability."

Well guess what, Dad? You were wrong ... about some of that stuff.

(He takes another drink from the wine glass and grimaces again at the taste.)

Shaun Mondavi: And today, at Shaun Mondavi Wine Place, we are committed to the best wine-ing techniques around. Like the time-honored aging process. And nothing ages wine like a hot three hour van ride from our wine factory in San Jose, straight to your mouth. That's right. When a van with a cactus airbrushed on the side pulls up outside your house, and a guy with a "fu-manchu" mustache hands you a case of Coke bottles filled with wine, you know you're in Shaun Mondavi country: the San Jose metropolitan area.

(He takes another sip and moans aloud at the terrible taste.)

Shaun Mondavi: The classic balance between wine and food is an integral part of the Shaun Mondavi experience. Whether you're having Steak-Ums or tacos or you can't afford food, you'll want a 2 liter Mountain Dew bottle filled with Shaun Mondavi's reddish-style wine drink. You won't be disappointed.

(He takes another drink and starts getting dry heaves from the bad taste. His Step dad walks into the scene.)

Robert Mondavi: What the hell are you doing out here, Shaun?

Shaun Mondavi: I'm shooting a commercial for my wine. Are you jealous Dad?

Robert Mondavi: That's Mr. Mondavi, punk, and you're not welcome on my property. I won't have you stealing from your mother again.

(Robert picks Shaun up by the back of the neck.)

Shaun Mondavi: (yells) MOM! MOM!

(Mother rushes in.)

Mrs. Mondavi: Shaun, please leave. I can't trust you anymore. Just go. Get out of here. Go!

Shaun Mondavi: (whining) Can't I just have a hundred grand for my own wine vineyard?

(Robert takes a drink from the wine glass and immediately spits it out.)

Robert Mondavi: This isn't wine! (sniffing the drink) It's tequila and Five Alive and those little marshmallows you put in cocoa.

Shaun Mondavi: ... And fish and seawater. (playing toward the camera) It's Shaun Mondavi's finest vintage.
 
Csb time. Just found out my good friend and his wife went to napa last week and is wrapping up the weekend in vegas today. By some happenstance they went to cali last weekend instead of vegas for the music festival but was originally going to do the reverse. Talk about a weird twist of fate.
 
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Do they think all the fires were started by nature - drought and super winds could be a terrorist's wet dream. And you would almost certainly get away with it.
 
There was no lighting that night - the fires were all man made one way or another. Whether they were intentionally set will be the question. So many started at the same time makes me think they were. Wouldn't be the first time.
 
There was no lighting that night - the fires were all man made one way or another. Whether they were intentionally set will be the question. So many started at the same time makes me think they were. Wouldn't be the first time.

It really only takes one flash-point to start; Santa Anas can blow sparks/embers/debris for miles to start more fires a long ways off.

Simple things, like cars pulling off the road into dry brush can start a fire; a cigarette that someone "thinks" is out getting tossed in a ditch. Someone target shooting and hitting a rock or metal creating a spark.

It doesn't take much at all when it is hot and dry in these areas - and it's very very dry during Santa Ana winds time.
 
This guy filmed this last night in Santa Rosa.

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It really only takes one flash-point to start; Santa Anas can blow sparks/embers/debris for miles to start more fires a long ways off.

Simple things, like cars pulling off the road into dry brush can start a fire; a cigarette that someone "thinks" is out getting tossed in a ditch. Someone target shooting and hitting a rock or metal creating a spark.

It doesn't take much at all when it is hot and dry in these areas - and it's very very dry during Santa Ana winds time.
Yeah, I'm familiar, been here 22 years. But 17 fires over 8 counties overnight doesn't seem like an accident.
 
This guy filmed this last night in Santa Rosa.


People who haven't lived in CA have no clue what a Santa Ana is like.

It's a TS or hurricane, w/o the rain, and hot, and VERY very dry.
If you were smoking a cig outside, and even just some ash ember fell off your cigarette, you could start a fire with that.

I've been thru a Santa Ana windstorm (no fire) on a motorcycle, and it's no fun.
 
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